Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in Congress are pushing for the Muslim Brotherhood to be labeled as a foreign terrorist organization.
The push comes amid a rapid rise of antisemitic attacks on U.S. soil, including Sunday, when an Egyptian man is accused of tossing Molotov cocktails and using a makeshift flamethrower to injure more than a dozen people at a peaceful rally sponsored by a Jewish group in Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, reportedly praised the Muslim Brotherhood on social media in the years before the attack.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., wrote a letter Tuesday to President Donald Trump, urging him to conduct a "comprehensive investigation" into designating the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, the Jewish News Syndicate reported Wednesday.
"This action would align U.S. policy with that of several key partners and reinforce our commitment to combating extremist ideologies that threaten national and global security," Moskowitz wrote in the letter, a copy of which he posted on his X account.
"At a time when we are witnessing a shocking increase in antisemitic violence, it must be noted that such ideological influence not only fosters division but also encourages radicalization against the United States, our allies and the foundational principles that define our society."
Also Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote in a post on X, "In the coming days, I will be circulating and reintroducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career."
"The Muslim Brotherhood uses political violence to achieve political ends and destabilize American allies, both within countries and across national boundaries," Cruz told The Washington Free Beacon. "The Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is Hamas, a terrorist group which on Oct. 7 committed the largest one-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and which included the murder and kidnapping of dozens of Americans."
Cruz added the Muslim Brotherhood "used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security."
Cruz first introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Designation Act in 2014, according to JNS. A House version was introduced in multiple congressional sessions but support dwindled.
The Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a terrorist organization by Egypt, where it originated; Saudi Arabia; the United Arab Emirates; Syria; and Bahrain, according to the Free Beacon. But the U.S. has not followed suit, even though during Trump's first term, officials in the White House and Congress considered sanctioning the group's global affiliates. But a formal designation was never made.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, a member of the House Appropriations Committee's Homeland Security subcommittee, told the Free Beacon the Trump administration's efforts to target terror factions tied to Iran could provide the groundwork for an expansion that covers the Muslim Brotherhood's international affiliates.
"[The] Muslim Brotherhood — or any terrorist organization, for that matter — should be designated as such," Hinson said. "I'm thankful to the Trump administration for defending the U.S. from our adversaries and brutal terrorists — something [former President Joe] Biden failed to prioritize. Peace through strength is back in the White House, and we must continue signaling deterrence."
Newsmax reached out to the White House and State Department for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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